The Rifle in the Bike Bag

The Defendant was stopped by police while riding a bicycle through a public area with a rifle case. Inside, officers found a rifle loaded with fourteen rounds of ammunition. The Defendant said he had picked the case up from his stepfather's house hours earlier and had not opened it, so he had no idea the weapon was loaded. He was charged under a statute making it a crime to carry a loaded firearm in a public place. His defense was simple: he did not know the gun was loaded, and without that knowledge he should not be guilty of a crime.